Admittedly, the journalist felt a jolt of confidence-boost struck her, having never come across a performer that was actually AWARE she would be covering the show. Ten out of ten times, she would only be heard of after having approached the performers herself to ask for a statement with which to enhance her article. “I’m the writer,” she confirmed, raising a shoulder.
“Friend of a friend, yeah.” Accepting the implicit invitation, she set aside her instrument, turned off her equipment and set it neatly in a corner before taking a seat on the edge of the stage. “Ha, you’re just saying that ‘cause you know I’m covering your show,” she teased, if only to get him to loosen up after having been visibly affected by learning she would be writing about him. “It’s not a big deal, actually, I’m just a part-time performer. I tried getting her to grant my band and I the chance to play here, like a one-time-only kinda thing, but… you know how it is, sometimes your style just clashes with the place’s crowd. It’s all good.”
“I gotta say that meeting you before the show is a little bit of an oddity. This never happens. Like. Ever. I’m not sure whether to be more at ease now that we’ve talked and are getting to know one another. Or if I should be even more on my toes,” he grinned at her only half-joking but it was a way to further crack the ice and if he had to express a small bit of anxiousness over venturing into foreign territory at the expense of himself? Why not. At least they were talking and laughing. Rather than trying to fill up gaps of awkward silence with conversation that had nothing to do with nothing.
“You know? I’ve always been under the belief that in a place like this,” his brow arched and he lifted his hand from the table top so he could gesture at the bar around them with a twirl of his pointer finger, “The performer dictates the crowd. Should never be the other way around. Not that I am saying how they should run their business. I’ve just always leaned towards the more variety means more money sort of philosophy.” He wasn’t the end-all-be-all of the music industry. Not even by a small shot, in his opinion. Only building up his career both in New York City and the newest adventure of being out on the road with his own music. However, he’d been in enough bars, theaters, venues and flash from the past theme parks to think he knew enough to say with a sound like hers? It’d be a shame not to be known as that place where it all began. “Once again, rudeness seems to have won over today,” a sheepish, self-chiding smile curled the edges of his lips as offered her his hand. “I’m Blaine but you knew that. What’s your name again? How long have you been a journalist?”
‘A guy like you’ he says and Michael doesn’t catch himself to stop his snort in response. Blaine made it sound like a compliment. He meant it as one too, Michael is aware. He was simply also aware of another, truer meaning to that sentence and the ridiculousness of such a compliment directed towards himself. A guy like him certainly didn’t need help meeting people; he worked in a different area at night, closer to the gay scene to find more customers, and he had been right to move his business over there. During the day however Michael wasn’t attracting attention like that, like what Blaine thought. Either that or he was seriously missing the signals(as possible as it was, he couldn’t help but doubt it)
After he tug on his sleeve Michael follows easily to the table Blaine had his eye on, pausing with one eye on the other as he stops to say hello himself. A more curious expression settles on his face to the eased greetings, wondering why he’d be here so often if he didn’t even have a pet of his own. What stood out more was Blaine pulling out Michael’s seat first, however. A gentlemanly gesture that he both wants to be fond of an annoyed at simultaneously.
Regardless he doesn’t react in either direction and takes a seat with Apple on his lap. She stands, tries unsuccessfully to turn around and face the other way before giving up and laying down on the young man’s legs, sated for the time being thanks to the constant contact. “It sounds like you do, if I’m being honest. Can’t say I’m much better though. If I could stick it in my arm I would.”
Blaine watched the tiny dog attempt to make her circles before she just flopped down and got comfortable. Smiling warmly down at her, he resisted the urge to reach out and pet her. Little awkward seeing as how she was seated on her walker’s lap and that was a little too close for just-met-you contact. One menu was slid over towards Michael. Blaine didn’t need to open his to decide what he wanted to order. But he did it anyway.
“You and me both. Too bad they haven’t invented a convenient IV drip. I’m sure it’d make a mint,” he chuckled and relaxed back into the chair. “So.. Do you do anything other than professional dog walking? I’d imagine that’s a pretty in demand business. Especially in this area of town. But is it your only job or is it funding a bigger dream? Not that it has to. Just.. A lot of people do that here. I guess I’m just curious about your story.”
He didn’t mean what he asked as any insult towards Michael’s job. Or doing what made him happy. Blaine was genuinely curious if he was working like a lot of people, he himself, knew when they moved here. Waiting tables, weird feminine product commercials, Santa’s Helpers In Christmas Hell, etc. Until their dreams came true. “One of my best friends was a Christmas window display once. Never knew that existed for human beings until she got the bright idea.”
“Don’t you have somebody else to annoy?” Annaleigh snapped. It was cold and rainy and that was part of the reason for her moodiness. She hated being out in the cold, even more so the rain. Currently she was standing outside of the diner where she worked, under the rather large awning waiting for the rain to let up. Since it was pouring down rain, she was going to wait for it to get down to a sprinkle before she headed off to go pick up her Tommy.
She had a feeling the man beside her was probably doing the same – waiting for the rain to let up. Arms crossed the woman’s chest as she looked around. If the rain didn’t let up soon, she’d probably have to just start walking. She would’ve called a taxi, but she put her phone in Tommy’s bag this morning by mistake. She didn’t really feel like waving one down either.
Another reason for Annaleigh’s moodiness was due to having not gotten enough sleep the night before. The nightmares were back and they seemed to have gotten worse. She had a feeling if this kept up, she’d have to mention it to her therapist. Which was something she really didn’t want to do. A yawn escaped from the woman’s lips and she reached up and rubbed one of her eyes with a black gloved hand.
Blaine groaned at the rain coming down in buckets. Not the greatest time to forget your umbrella on your rush to get to work before he missed his fitting. If he went out in that? By the time he got to the theater, he was going to look like a drowned rat with crazy curls in his eyes and soaked from head to toe. Six blocks to the closest subway. Life wasn’t playing fair.
Thumbing through the Lyft app on his phone, he paged a car and hoped it’d get here quick. Because, apparently, someone standing beside him was having just as bad of a day as he was and didn’t mind taking it out on yours truly. His brows shot up and a taken aback half-smile greeted her sarcastic question. Did she want an answer? She’d get one anyway.
“Probably. But. As you can see,” his chin ticked towards the rain dripping down in puddles and blowing sideways, “We’re both trapped here. I’ll try to be less annoying though. If you can tell me what I was doing that was grating on your nerves. Other than. You know? Standing here.” Oops. Okay, so his sardonic side managed to claw it’s way to the surface. But thinking about everyone waiting on him to get the rest of their day done was making him antsy, upset and loosening up his tongue while lowering his patience. Not the greatest combination.
A hand rose to push the heavier locks of hair away from her face, though still unable to keep her uneven ( that’s what she got for insisting on cutting her own hair ) side swept bangs from draping over her lashes. Only then she looked back up at the unspeakably charming stranger that looked like he had been made in the image of a stylish fashion advertising poster from the forties.
“Wh— For real? I don’t play here. I mean, not yet, I’ve got a show tomorrow night and I’m gonna be working on an article all day—— about your show, actually, you know, this show. A friend of a friend runs the place, she’s letting me get a little rehearsing done while I’ve still got the time.”
“Oh? Oh! Wow. You’re the writer!” Surprised that he was standing in front of the person who was going to be covering his show and seeing that she was a musician herself (and hearing that the woman was good) added absolutely NO PRESSURE to raise the whole better knock it out of the park bar he always set for himself. Nah! No! Not at all!
Stammering to wrap his tongue around a word or two, Blaine sat back down hoping she’d take the queue and stick around. A deep breath later, he regained his use of the English vocabulary and continued on like the hiccup never happened. “Your friend runs the venue? She’s really good at what she does. Though she’s missing out if she hasn’t let you take over the stage yet. You should, probably, let her know catching an artist when they are up and coming is a once in a lifetime sort of thing she shouldn’t let slide. Cause I think she’s missing out. Big time.”
[ text ;; blaine ] It would be less depressing if you´d have just done it instead of telling me. [ text ;; blaine ] You should have texted me earlier. I could have pulled you out that funk. [ text ;; blaine ] Which show do you want to see? Something funny I reckon? Or at least something that´s not depressing for the major part.
( mssg » rachel | sent ) I had to tell someone because I’m starting to annoy myself with how freaking sad this is. I’m trusting you to beat some sense into my head. Because you always have. ( mssg » rachel | sent ) I know. I guess I just had to let it build up until one day I wanted to slap myself upside the head. Today is that day. ( mssg » rachel | sent ) You reckon? Reckon.. ( mssg » rachel | sent ) Can you get any cuter? ( mssg » rachel | sent ) How about Kinky Boots? Or Aladdin? I know those are both as opposite from each other in wholesomeness that you can get but neither one of them are close to depressing??
She made a graceful motion with her hand over her forehead as she nodded forward, simulating a faint bow. “I’ve been singing for as long as I can remember and took up bass guitar when I was around eleven. Are you in the industry, or… d’you just have great taste?”
“Ah! That makes sense and it shows. But,” he held up a finger and gave her a jestful apology, “I beg your pardon. Where are my manners?” Such a ‘well-practiced’ bow deserved nothing less than one in return, right? Blaine stood out of his chair and mirrored her bow making sure to fan his fingers out in an elegant wave towards the seat beside his as he rose back up and grinned.
“I’d like to say I dabble in a bit of both? Care to join me? This place should start filling up around now and tables get sort of sparse. Plus? You have to tell me how you started playing here and how I’ve missed you if this isn’t your first time?”
It’s ridiculous sometimes the way things come back to him. It’s been long enough now, he’s so used to the life he leads, small things shouldn’t make him think of the past at all anymore. They don’t always, in his own defense. It was always though when happiness was involved. Or more likely, the potential of it. Michael had a way of looking for every silver lining and when things turned out to be positive he thought of the things he missed, as if looking for a reason to be disappointed regardless. Nothing could stand up to the more pleasant memories of his past, people that he longed to see again in the back of his mind.
When he was younger, even back before their mother died, Lincoln would hold the door open for him almost everywhere they went and at least once that day say ‘ladies first’ jokingly as Michael walked past him. And thus he instinctively begins to ruin coffee with a perfectly pleasant stranger. He didn’t have to let it though, did he? He wanted to enjoy the little things.
“Thank you. I think I’ll take my chances as they are. I meet enough random guys as it is.” He replies as smoothly as before as he walks into the cafe. “I appreciate the positive attitude though.”
Blaine eyed Michael’s back with a bewildered look as he let him walk by. He met enough random guys? Well. Looking like that, Blaine could imagine Michael didn’t need much help from puppies to meet as many men as he wanted. The guy was handsome, well spoken and gave the impression that he was sincere. Anyone would appreciate meeting, much less spending time with a guy like that. Still, he teased him a little as he let the door close and took a step to stand beside Michael and checking for an empty table. “Ah. Sorry. A guy like you probably doesn’t need any advice on how to meet more people,” he grinned up at him, “You’re welcome for the positive attitude though.”
Ah! They were in luck! A couple vacated a table by the bakery counter and Blaine gave Michael’s sleeve an tug to get his attention. “Let’s grab it before anyone else can,” and with a tick of his chin in towards their seats–Blaine was off to claim their table grabbing two menus off the countertop on his way past. The barista paused and smiled at Blaine’s grateful wave and smile, went back to taking the next walk up order–stopped and looked back chirping up with an ‘Hello, Mister Anderson’ to which she received pursed lipped ‘hello back! smile and a lift and tilt of the menus in her direction.
“Sometimes I wonder how I’ve managed to miss winning some ten thousandth customer award in the string of coffee shops lining this street and a block over. You’d think with how much I’m in them, I would by now.” Blaine joked as he pulled out a chair for Michael before taking one beside him. “Maybe I have a small caffeine problem..”
Standing in the cold, the twenty five year old woman was trying to hail down a cab. Annaleigh hated being out this late at night – especially in a large city like this one. She may have been used to being out at these late hours, but that didn’t mean that she had to like it. You never knew what kind of weirdos you’d run into at about 2:30 in the morning. Still, it wasn’t like she’d had a choice in the matter. She’d had to work another late shift at the bar and at the moment the single mother was willing to take whatever shifts were offered to her. They needed the money and she was going to do whatever it took to make sure her son had a better life.
A gasp escaped from the woman’s lips when she felt a body collide with her’s. Living in a large city like this, it was easy to run into people, she was just surprised that this had happened at such a late hour. Then again, it was late and kind of hard to see in some places, despite the very bright street lamps and other lights illuminating the city. Had it been any other time of day, Annaleigh may have yelled at the stranger, but considering how late it was and how tired she was, she would let this slide. “It’s alright.”she mumbled.
Annaleigh turned her attention to the recently stopped cab. She was greatful that he was willing to let her use this cab. However, she didn’t want him to have to go back to where he’d come from at such a late hour. “Why don’t we just share this one?”she suggested. She didn’t mind sharing a cab with the kind stranger. Besides, it wasn’t like she had any where important to be. Her son Tommy was sleeping over at a friend’s house so she didn’t have to worry about picking him up at such a late hour anyway.
Blaine blinked in surprise at the offer. He’d expected a ‘thank you’, the door slamming and watching the tail lights (and his quickest way home) disappear off into the New York City night while he tried to find an Uber so he didn’t have to stand out here and freeze again. Getting back into the theater was relatively easy enough and he was already taking a step up onto the sidewalk before turning to give the woman a stunned, awestruck smile. “Y-Yeah. That’d would be–,” his eyebrows screwed up and he gave her an ‘are you sure’ look. “If it isn’t too much trouble?
“It’s freezing. Sorry. Yes. Thank you so much.” Skipping back down off the curb, he smiled gratefully and opened the door for her motioning inside with an usher-like wave of his hand complete with half-bow at the waist. “Your carriage, ma’am.” The cabbie rolled his eyes but Blaine was blissfully unaware of that. Waiting until she was inside, he climbed in after and closed the door. “You can be the first stop. I don’t mind.” Half-gloved fingers tugged his scarf a little higher up on his neck to help speed up chasing off the wintery chill outside.
“I’m Blaine, by the way.” Probably should have introduced himself first. But? In his defense, it was after two in the morning and he’d gone into work at ten the previous morning with only a pitstop home for a couple hours before it got dark outside. His brain surpassed tired and was running on the last drops of midnight oil he had left. “Thanks again. I really didn’t want to go back into work and my bed is practically screaming my name.” The woman was a saint for going out of her way and being kind. Yes, that’s right, a saint.
“Well, she has proven to be a bit of a walking hazard.” Michael replies lightly, gaze turned briefly to the fluffy dog held to his chest as her little head comes to rest on his shoulder with a little huff. Princess indeed. His smile sweetens at that just before his gaze flicks back to Blaine as the man continues speaking- just before a wholehearted chuckle is prompted from him. A day of firsts sounded about right, he thinks as he considers just how hard it would be to teach this dog to trip handsome strangers.
Michael remembers once being told by a girl whose boyfriend apparently had been a customer of Michael’s in the past that his laugh was the only pure thing about him. He certain hopes he had that left, but mostly he wonders how on earth she’d been so pleasant talking to a hooker her lover once took into a back alley. Either way looking at the way Blaine’s smile lights up his face, Michael is fairly certain he’s just been beat.
“While she probably could learn tripping on command, I don’t think she’d be able to spot the handsome ones from her vantage point.” It was a bit bold for him during the day. Michael on his own truly wasn’t much of a flirt, not when he spent all night doing that, and certainly not when he knew perfectly well how bad it could turn out behaving in such a way around the wrong people- but a friendly spoken compliment to a friendly man, intent as lighthearted as it can be, should be safe enough.
“She has, hasn’t she? Serial tripper in the works. Better keep an eye on her,” his nose scrunched, eyes squinting like he was sharing some secret warning, “You know? In case it starts becoming a habit. Watch for warning signs. All that stuff.” Just when he thought the tiny, fuzzy ball of cute could make his heart melt anymore than it already had, Apple nuzzled into Michael’s neck and Blaine’s entire face softened into a look of utter ‘awwwwh!’. Problem was? When he got that look? Apple had her work cut out for matching Blaine’s level of puppy dog eyes.
However, abrupt laughter made them wrinkle at their corners as Blaine stepped around a woman standing directly in the path of oncoming foot traffic chatting away on her phone. Someone couldn’t do two things at once! Thankfully, Blaine could and avoided an embarrassing collision with someone much bigger than Michael’s tiny companion.. Olive cheeks were flush with color thanks to the compliment.
“Maybe just letting her run into random strangers and taking a chance with fate might be a better idea? Who knows who you’ll meet. Or where you’ll end up. Speaking of which?” Blaine nodded towards the door of a brick front with a weathered white wooden door and several silver dog bowls sitting on the sidewalk out front. “Here we are. You first,” he held the door open and motioned for Michael and the puppy to go ahead. Then snuck in a rub to her nose as they passed by.
pianokeysandbowties back up 